Just the Facts! Winning Endgame Knowledge In One Volume by GM Lev Alburt and GM Nikolay Krogius Published by Chesswise.com Originally Published by Chess Information and Research Center © Copyright 2000 Lev Alburt and Nikolay Krogius All rights reserved eISBN: 1-930936-17-6 This book is also available in print as ISBN: 1-889323-06-3 Table of Contents Just the Facts! Winning Endgame Knowledge in One Volume Chapter 1: What Is an Endgame? Endgame knowledge—the key to chess mastery The active king Passed pawns Zugzwang Summary Chapter 2: Pawn Endings Part 1: King Position King and one pawn versus king—the fundamentals Chess is a game for squares How to win a pawn up: Three rules for battling a blocking king Most Winnable Endgames—the more pawns, the more winnable! Rook pawns—when living on the edge can be safe Defending by jailing the opposing king on the rook’s file Safe squares Passing the move (triangulation) Calling in the reserves (reserve pawn moves) The moving screen The distant opposition A classic triangulation Part II: Passed Pawns The advantage of the outside passed pawns Mutual defense treaties between pawns Creating passed pawns—radical breakthroughs Summary Learning Exercises Chapter 3: Pawns against Pieces Pawn versus knight When the lone horseman holds off both king and rook pawn You can’t always win Bishop versus pawns Rook against pawn Cutting off the king on his third rank The running screen in rook-versus-pawn endings Two connected pawns versus the rook Queen versus pawns Summary Learning Exercises Chapter 4: Rook Endings Rook and pawn versus rook, with the defending king blocking the pawn Pawn is on the sixth rank Pawn is not yet on the sixth rank—Philidor’s position Lucena’s position Counterattacking from the side—the long-side defense When the long side is too short The defending king is cut off from the pawn When the extra pawn is a rook-pawn Rook versus rook and two pawns Special case of the rook- and bishop-pawns Rook and pawns versus rook and pawns Beware of passive defense Summary Learning Exercises Chapter 5: Knight Endings Knight and pawn against knight The king takes part in the defense Both sides have pawns, and one is passed Wing majorities Importance of the active king Summary Learning Exercises Chapter 6: Bishop Endings Part 1: Bishops of the Same Color Pawn on the sixth or seventh rank Pawn not yet on the sixth or seventh rank Bishop and two pawns against bishop Both sides have pawns—the “bad” bishop Both sides have pawns—the “good” bishop Same-Color Bishops: Drawing and Winning Methods Other strategies Part 2: Bishops of Opposite Color Good fortresses require bad bishops! Passed pawns Don’t overburden your bishop It’s not always a draw! Fortress Building and Maintenance 101 Connected passed pawns—the three rules of defense Targeting Summary Learning Exercises Chapter 7: Knight against Bishop Play with one pawn on the board Play with multiple pawns The knight can be the “Springer of surprises”! The knight can be stronger in close quarters and closed positions The knight against the bad bishop Summary Learning Exercises Chapter 8: Queen Endings Queen and pawn against queen Queens and multiple pawns Summary Learning Exercises Chapter 9: Mixed Bags Basic checkmates Bishop and knight Two knights against a pawn Focus on practicality Rook versus knight with no pawns on the board Don’t stand in the corner! Rook versus knight with pawns on the board Rook versus bishop Rook and pawn versus bishop Rook and pawns versus bishop and pawns Rook and bishop versus rook Queen versus rook Queen versus rook and non-rook pawn Queen versus rook and rook pawn Queen versus rook and minor piece Summary Learning Exercises Chapter 10: Multi-Piece Endings Advantage of the bishop pair Two rooks versus two rooks The importance of a spatial advantage Creating additional weaknesses Summary Learning Exercises Chapter 11: Transitions Playing for a favorable ending from move four Heading for the endgame as a defensive measure Summary The Relative Value of the Pieces Change in the Endgame! Learning Exercises Conclusion A Brief Endgame Glossary Black is in a dangerous position White threatens to begin a powerful attack with Rh3 or Bf6 So Black plays a move that encourages the exchange of queens Nc5! g4? This is a serious mistake It is better to play Qxd7 Nxd7 e6, with equality; or Qc2 Ne4 Bh4 Qg4 Rh3, with mutual chances Now, White gets a worse ending Qxf5 gxf5 f6! Diagram 530 exf6 Other continuations are even worse: Bxf6 Ne4 Bh4 Rxf5; or Bf4 Nb3 Rd1 fxe5; or dxc5 fxg5 Rf3 g6 f6 Kf7 and Ke6 Ne4 fxg7 Rxf5 Be7 Kxg7 Black has pressure on the kingside files, and his knight is stronger than White’s bishop f3 Nd2 Kf2 Re8 Rae1 White now threatens 10 Bf6+ Ne4+ 10 Kg2 Diagram 531 10 Rxe7 11 fxe4 Rxe4 12 Rxe4 dxe4 13 Rxe4 Rb5 14 Re2 Rb3! Diagram 532 White’s king is cut off, and his pawns on b2, d4 and h2 are weak Black has good chances to win 15 Kf2 Kf6 16 Ke1 h6 17 Rg2 Ke6 18 Kd1 The try 18 Rg6+ fails because of 18 Kd5 19 Rxh6 Rxb2 18 Kd5 19 Kc2 Diagram 533 19 Rh3 20 Rd2 Kc4 21 Kb1 h5 22 Ka2 Rh4 23 Rf2 Kxd4 Black, with an extra pawn and more active pieces, went on to win GELLER—KROGIUS BAD WORISHOFEN, GERMANY, 1991 Diagram 534 Black to move White has a significant positional advantage His bishop is more active He’s doubled heavy pieces to control the open a-file In general, his pieces have more space In case of Nc8 Re3 Qd7 Qc1, Black loses his c4 pawn So Black finds a queen sacrifice to force a transition into a safe endgame Nd7 Rd1 Nxc5 Rxd3 Nxd3 Rc6 Rxb4 Nd2 Nb2 Qa5 Rbb8 Diagram 535 Nxc4 Nxc4 Rxc4 h6 g3 Rec8 10 Rxc8 Rxc8 11 Kg2 Re8 Diagram 536 Two important facts are in the defender’s favor: all the pawns are on the same side and all White’s minor pieces are exchanged Black easily defends his fortress 12 Qb5 Kf8 13 Qc6 Re6 14 Qc8+ Re8 15 Qf5 Kg8 16 h4 Re6 17 h5 Be7 Diagram 537 18 Qf3 Bf6 19 Qd3 Re8 20 Qb5 Kf8 21 Qc5+ Kg8 22 f4 Re6 23 Qc8+ Kh7 24 Kf3 Re7 25 Qf8 Rc7 26 Kg4 Re7 27 Kf5 Ra7 Diagram 538 28 fxe5 Ra5 29 Qxf7 Rxe5+ 30 Kf4 Rg5 31 Qe8 Bc3 32 g4 Bf6 33 Qb8 Bd4, draw Summary:The endgame isn’t a game by itself, but rather the result of the opening and middlegame Many times during the middlegame, you have to consider the consequences of forcing or allowing transition to an endgame Sometimes even an opening has the ultimate goal of producing a favorable endgame You can choose to go into the endgame as a way of consolidating your advantage or of simplifying a difficult defense But once in an ending, you can’t go back again! So consider transitions thoughtfully RELATIVE VALUE OF THE QUEEN VERSUS TWO ROOKS: IN THE MIDDLEGAME, THEY’RE EQUAL THE QUEEN IS SOMEWHAT WEAKER IN THE ENDGAME WITH NO OTHER PIECES ON THE BOARD, TWO ROOKS OFTEN EQUAL QUEEN AND PAWN The Relative Value of the Pieces Change in the Endgame! Before you decide to exchange queens and head for an endgame, you should consider the changes that take place in the relative value of the pieces The power of pawns and rooks grows, and, to a lesser extent, the bishop’s power likewise increases A sort of “net sum” of the power of all pieces is maintained, however, as the knight loses power Even the queen decreases a bit in its relative strength OPENING AND MIDDLEGAME PIECE VALUES In the opening and middlegame, a rook and two pawns are at best equal to two minor pieces More specifically, rook and two pawns are: clearly weaker than two bishops; equal to or slightly weaker than bishop and knight; equal to two knights ENDGAME PIECE VALUES In the endgame, however, a rook and a single pawn are: equal to two knights; equal or slightly weaker than bishop and knight The bishop pair is the toughest customer for the rook in an endgame, partially because the bishops also increase in value But even compared to the bishops, the rook’s relative value increases more A rook and two pawns are generally the equal of the bishop pair in the endgame GUIDELINES FOR EXCHANGING Keep these tips in mind—they hold true in a vast majority of positions: When a queen and two minor pieces take on a queen and rook, the side with minor pieces for the rook should avoid exchanging queens The value of the minor-piece duo decreases after the trade of queen, in fact the exchange often amounts to losing a pawn A player with two rooks against a rook and a minor piece—or against a rook and two minor pieces—should exchange his “redundant” rook for his opponent’s lone rook Since the rook’s power is unique, one side is thus left with the special power of the piece, and the other side loses it completely These guidelines for exchanging hold true no matter how many pawns, or what other sets of pieces, are present on the board Transitions Learning Exercises Diagram 539 White to move Diagram 540 Black to move Diagram 541 Black to move Diagram 542 Black to move Transitions Solutions No Qxf7+! Qxf7 Bxf7+!! (2 Rxf8+? Kxf8 Bxf7 Bc5 =) Kxf7 Rxf8+ Kxf8 Kxf2 (White is clearly much better because of his potential outside passed pawn) Ke7 Ke3 Kd6 Ke4 b4 c3 b3 c4 g6 g4 h5 10 gxh5 gxh5 11 h4 Kc6 12 Kxe5 Kc5 13 Kf5! (triangulation) Diagram 543 Black to move 13 Kd4 14 Kf4 Kc5 15 Ke5 Kxc4 16 Ke4 Kc5 17 Kd3 +- No Qc3!, exchanging all pawns and transferring into a queen vs rook endgame, and therefore a win Tempting but wrong would be Qxb4 axb4 axb3 Kb2 Kc4 Ka3 b2! Ka2! = No dxe5! Nxe5 Bxe5! dxe5 Qxd1+ Kxd1 Nc6 (—+) Nd2 Bf5! (to provoke g4 and thus saddle White with two weaknesses—on g4 and, potentially, on f4) g4 Be6 f4 0-0-0 b3 Nd4!, with a big advantage No Qb3! Be4 Qxc2 Bxc2 Nxb2! Bxb2 Bc4 Rda1 Rxb2! Rxb2 Bxc3 Rb7 Bxa1 Rxd7 Bxe2 Nd2 Rxa3 10 Rxe7 Ra2 11 Rxe2 Rxc2 with a decisive edge for Black Conclusion Knowledge is power In the case of chess endings, this knowledge is a power that leads to better results! You’ve just completed a study of all endgame knowledge essential to your chess for the rest of your life After all, chess endgame principles don’t change Given the frequency and importance of the endgame, the time and energy you’ve spent will be a rewarding investment But there are things you should continue to both to retain your newfound knowledge and to gain an even deeper understanding of chess endgames First of all, regularly reviewing this book is important The color-coding of the most important positions and ideas makes the process easy We encourage you to circle, underline, and make your own comments in the margins as you this Secondly, connect your own experiences with this book Keep this book in your chess bag Your interest is at its peak immediately after you’ve finished an intriguing endgame Use the table of contents to find where the general principles of your game are discussed Do the principles given apply, or is your position an exception or addition? You may want to draw or paste the new position into the closest blank space Collecting and sorting your own endgames is a very important step to your ongoing improvement We suggest keeping files (on paper or on computer) of the different types of endings you play The divisions we suggest in this book should work well In addition, you could keep another file separating your endings by themes—zugzwang, bad bishop, reserve pawn moves, etc Again, the themes we suggest in this book should work well as your divisions or subtopics Each time you play another interesting endgame, use your files to compare it with your previous ones of the same type or theme You’ll be surprised and gratified how quickly you gain confidence and knowledge—and how well your increased understanding sticks with you! In every phase of your chess study, recognize the importance of endgame play When you play over a master game, don’t quit as soon as one player has a winning advantage, play all the moves out! You need to see how the masters convert their advantages to wins! Finally, keep in mind that winning endgame play requires planning Don’t just think in terms of what moves are immediately available, plan Don’t just play, build! You’ll love the results, and you’ll love being a player no one likes getting into an endgame with! A Brief Endgame Glossary Breakthrough: Creating a far-advanced passed pawn with a sacrifice Building a bridge: Winning technique in the Lucena position Chenturini’s Rule: In same colored bishop endgames, defender draws if his bishop always has an available safe move on the short diagonal Counting: A method of determining if a passed pawn will safely promote Distant Passed Pawn: A passed pawn far away from the other pawns Endgame: The stage of the game in which so many pieces have been captured that the kings can take an active part in the battle and passed pawns assume extra importance Long Diagonal: The longer of two key diagonals in bishop endgames Long Side: In rook and pawn endings, refers to the number of files between the pawn and the edge of the board The long side has more squares than the short side Lucena Position: A specific type of rook and pawn vs rook position in which the strong side “builds a bridge” with his king, rook and pawn to win Major Pieces: The rooks and queen Minor Pieces: The bishops and knights Moving Screen: Taking a short route with your king while forcing the enemy king into a longer route Also called “running screen,” “running pick” or “shouldering.” Mutual Defense Treaties: When pawns (or pawn and knight) defend each other because if one is captured, the remaining pawn queens Opposition: When the kings oppose each other with one square between, the side that does not have to move “has the opposition.” Passed Pawn: A pawn with no enemy pawns to block or capture it Passing the Move: Giving the move back to your opponent Promotion: When a pawn reaches the final row on the opposite side of the board, it has the option of becoming a queen, rook, bishop or knight Philidor’s Position: A famous rook versus rook-and-pawn draw Queening: Promoting a pawn to a queen Safe Square: In king-and-pawn endings, any square on which the defending king can stand to maintain the draw Short Diagonal: The shorter of two key diagonals in bishop endgames Short Side: In rook and pawn endgames, refers to the number of files between the pawn and the edge of the board The short side has fewer squares than the long side Square of the Pawn: A technique to quickly calculate whether an unprotected pawn can queen It’s an imaginary square that contains the same number of chessboard squares as the number of moves it will take the pawn to promote Also called the Berger Square Targeting: Attacking a pawn to force it to the wrong color square or tie the enemy king to its defense Triangulation: A technique to pass the move The king takes two moves to get to a square he could have gone to in one move, thus giving the appearance of tracing a triangle Under-promotion: Pawn promotion to a rook, bishop, or knight Zugzwang: German for “compulsion to move.” Improve Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible Reach your full potential Contact me today to schedule your first lesson! with personal Instruction from three-time US Champion GM Lev Alburt Write to: GM Lev Alburt PO Box 534, Gracie Station, New York, NY 10028-0005 or call me at 212-794-8706 As a chess teacher, my job is to provide my students quick, steady, and noticeable improvement, without wasting their valuable time After discussing your chess and analyzing your games, I’ll design the most effective, personalized study program for you—based on the same, proven, Russian-developed system that led to half a century of world champions It does work Through-the-mail lessons start at $80/hour Over-the-telephone and faceto-face lessons are also available In the long run, these lessons can save you thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours You’ll escape buying an untold number of books not right for you, and you’ll avoid wasting time on topics that aren’t time-efficient Even a single lesson can help you reassess your game and put you on the right track to major improvement—and winning more chess games! ... IN THE OPENING AND MIDDLEGAME REVERSE THEMSELVES IN THE ENDGAME! THE ACTIVE KING To be a winning endgame general, you must know the key differences between the ending and the other phases of the. .. on the sixth rank—Philidor’s position Lucena’s position Counterattacking from the side the long-side defense When the long side is too short The defending king is cut off from the pawn When the. .. and there are middle games without them Perhaps it’s better to define the endgame simply as the stage of the game with relatively few pieces on the board Beyond this generalized definition, there